It took 50 shots for the Avalanche to finally get one past goalie MacKenzie Blackwood. Colorado trailed by a goal for the majority of the evening before securing the game-tying goal from defenseman Cale Makar in the final minutes of regulation.
Makar’s second of the season came on the 6-on-5 attack, as the Avs had pulled their goalie in favor of the extra attacker. The Avs had 19 shots in the third period — 52 through 65 minutes of play — before coming away with the 2-1 victory in the shootout. The lone tally in extra time came from Mikko Rantanen. Georgiev stopped all three shooters he faced.
Cale Makar FINALLY beats Blackwood on Colorado's 50th shot of the game!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BBd7z7Ujdb
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 15, 2023
Colorado was a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, including a successful two-minute PK in overtime. The Sharks were also perfect in shutting down the Avs’ PK.
Listen to “Avalanche Defeat San Jose 2-1 in the Shootout” on Spreaker.
Key Takeaways
- Georgiev earned his 100th career victory. He is 42-16-6 in the regular season since joining the Avalanche in July 2022.
- Andrew Cogliano made his debut after missing opening night.
- Ryan Johansen was huge in the faceoff circle, winning 17-of-28 draws. The rest of the Avs won 10-of-36. Johansen’s biggest faceoff wins were late in regulation, helping Colorado set up on the 6-on-5 attack thanks to his ability to give them control of the puck right off the draw.
